Stove



fzgsheet-sneet. 1. W. MoG'L-AVB.

PatentedDeo. 4, 1888.

(No Model.)

sTovE, RANGB'l'oR PURNAGB GRAW.

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(No Mdel.)

W. MGCLAVB. STOVE, RANGE, ORFURNAGE GBATE.

No. 393,844. Patented Dec.. 4, 1888.-

9? 9 w f A 831% kf UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

IVIIJLIAM MCCLAVE, OF SCRANTON, PENNSYLVANIA.

STOVE, RANGE, OR FURNACE GRATE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 393,844, dated:December 4,` 1888.

Application filed April 17, 1888. Serial No. 270,904. (No model.) I

To 61.55 whom, it may concern:

versed in position.

.section of one of the end portions of the frame Be it known that l,WILLIAM MCCLAVE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Scranton,in the county of Lackawanna and State of Pennsylvania, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Stove, Range, or Furnace Grates;and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in theart to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention consists in certain const-ructions, combinations, andarrangements of parts of a stove, range, or furnace grate, as will behereinafter described, and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a broken longitudinal section,and Fig. 2 aand a portion of a stove, range, or furnace .with which thegrate is adapted for use.

Fig. et is a diagram maticalview of the two bars re- Fig. 5 is avertical crossin the line x a; of 2, showing more plainly "the segmentalcog-gearing for vibrating the grate-bars and the lugs for limiting theeX- tent of vibration of the grate-bars. Fig. 6 is a detail viewshowing, as a Inodification of my invention, pivoted catches attached tothe ner surfaces of the end portions of the bars are curved and form asupport for banking Fig. 8 .is adiagrammatical cross-sectionillustrating burning fuel at the ends of the grate.

the manner of using more than one pair of grate-bars coupled in pairs,as in Figs. l, 2, 3, and 4, for forming a grated fire-bed of any desiredlength. The grate-bars in this in stance are made less concave on topthan either those shown in Figs. 3 and 4, and their end portions are ofthe shape on top indicated by dotted lines, as d5 df in Figs. B and 4,or as illustrated by the modilied construction shown in Fig. 7 and Fig.9 is another diagrammatical view showing two bars with the forni oftheir'top surface slightly changed, said surface being partly curved andpartly fiat.

In the views of the drawings, A is the grateframe; B, the grate-bars; C,the lower portion of a stove, range, or furnace having its lower end orlining portion resting upon the top surface of t-he frame A..

The grate is composed of not less than two bars, and this number may beincreased according to the size of the fire-bed required. Each bar is ofcrescentic form, and it may be of open-work metal, the spaces of whichare bounded b y transversel crescentic-shaped portions and longitudinalconnecting portions, all having surfaces which partake of the form of acrescent in transverse section, or each bar may be similar, so far asthe construction of passages through them is concerned, to those ingeneral use; but their exterior or bottoni surfaces, ci, must beconcentric with their journals b b and the major portions of their topsurfaces,a2,between their ash cut-*out edges c c considerably below thehorizontal axes of said journals, while one or both of the said cnt-outedges c c of the respective bars may be either slightly above, below, orabout on a plane with said axes of the journals.

At the ends, respectively, of the grate-bars circular solid plates vd dare constructed, and on the respective faces of these plates d segmentalcog-gears f f are cast, and centrally from the plates d d and segmentalgears f f the journals l) b are extended, being cast on the bars, andone of them, on one-orboth bars, being made longer than the others, andformed with a square end, so that a handle or lever may be applied to itfor the purpose of vibrating the grate-bars through the gears.

The frame A is formed with longitudinal side bars, g g', both of eitherthe plain form shown at g or the slotted construction shown at g", andprovided with the end portions, h,

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71', 712, and 711i, the caps 712 71:" of which may be of the plaintop-surface formation shown at 712 or of the grooved formation shown at71. The cap-pieces 712 71 are recessed, as at 111 111 111?, and arerenmvable, while the portions 71 71 are cast with the side bars, y g.The recesses 111 111 are to accommodate snugly thc circular end plates,17 17', of the grate-bars, while the recess 1112 is to admit thecog-gears, so that they shall be covered and excluded from ashes by thatportion of the cap in which the recess 111, is formed and he free tovibrate. Through the respective portions 71 71 and 712 713 semicircularjournal-box passages 11 11 are provided for the journals 71 11, the samet'orming, when the caps are in place, complete circular journal-boxes,concentric with and titting the journals snugly. At suitable points,

lateral to the journals 71 l1', lugs 112 112 are cast on the inner sideof the portion 71 of the frame A, said lugs being adapted for limitingboth the forward or inward and the backward or outward movements of thegrate-bars whenever they are vibrated and for aiding i in supporting andkeeping' the hars firmly in their normal position of use.

By referring to the drawings it` will be seen that the axes of thejournals of the gratebars are elevated considerably above the top orinner surfaces, u2, of the bars, and that the sharp ash and dbriscut-out edges c c can consequently be made to form much more 1 acuteangles than is possible when the journals are located below said top orinner suri face of the grate-bars, and Athus grate-bars arey providedwhich will more readily and perfeetly cut through the ashes and debristhan those bars which have their cutting-edges formed on angles whichare comparatively very obtuse; also, that the exterior surfaces,

a, of the grate-bars can be formed concentric with the axes of thejournals, and being thus j formed these bars will maintain anequidistant relation with the lower surface, (1,of the lower end orlining of the combustion-chamber C of the stove, range, or furnace, andthis without the aid of curved extension-bars of the grate, which occupylateral room in the ash-piti, as in Letters Patent No. 143556. Byjournaling and shaping` the grate-bars as described the eut through theashes and debris can be on a higher curved line, and the very sharpedges c c', when used as in Figs. 23 and 1t, will divide the ashes fromthe fuel, thereby making a clean eut with little liability ofobstruction from the fuel` during the cleaning operation.

If the ordinary curved extension-bars used on grate-bars hungon journalslocated below the top surfaces of the grates, as in Patent No. 153,856,were cutoff, and the construction I have adopted not resorted to, thespace between the bottom or exterior surfaces of the bars wouldbecomegradually enlarged in operating upward and inward, and consequently ingoing back the larg'e pieces of coal and other matters would otter anobstrucl tion and arrest thereturn of the grate-bars to their normalposition of use. It is of great 1 importance in stoves and ranges todispense with the aforesaid curved extension-lmrs, l'or when thegrate-bars are constructed as I show they occupy no extra room lateralof the combustion-chamber, aml consequently the ashpitcan be madesmallcrand the room lost by the use of the curved bars can be added tothe length or width of the bake-oven, and thus more room secured forbaking' purposes in a givemsized stoveor rangethan when the curved barsare used.

In connection with grate-bars of the con l struction and form shown itis necessary, in order to secure the advantages set forth and Qaccomplish the cut-out. ot' the ashes and i debris, to have the sharpedges c c of a pair of bars, l l, placed on the extreme right side ofone bar and the extreme left side of the other bar, as shown in Figs. 3and thor-to have the intermediate pair of bars of a grate-bed formed offour bars, as in Fig. H, provided with sharp edges c c and c c', onesharp edge c being at the extreme right side of one bar i and the othersharp edge rz at the extreme f left side of the other bar ot' a gearedpair of l bars; and it is also necessary in all eases that 1 the barsshall beso constructed and arranged with respect to the lower port ionof the stove, i range, or furnace, and to one another, and tolimitation-stops for insuring proper vibrator-y movements, and to themeans provided for vibrating the bars that the sharp edges c r i shallmove on curved lines upward and int ward from the position shown in l`ig. Il to the position shown in Fig. Jf, and then, having by t thismovement, cut out. the mass of ashes and debris at the bottom ot.' thesuperincumbent body of burning fuel, move outward and downward from theposition shown in Fig. J1 to that shown in Fig. El. It the grate-barswere constructed, respectively, with a singlesharj' edge, as in GermanLetters latent No. l(1,775, of lSStl, and said sharp edge of one bar wasplaced adjoining a dull edge, ornext 1 o a lower edge which is on ahorizontal planeet' thebar, as in said patent, instead of being placedin the relation to one another as shown in Fig. 0 of my drawings, andall of said sharp edges were vibrated so as to turn in the samedirection,as illustrated in said patent, the cut-out of the mass ofashes and de'bris could not be effected. My construction in all thefigures of my drawings is capable of and is specially designed for notonly shaking' down the ashes but also cutting out the entire mass ofashes and debris beneath the burning body of' fuel inthe stove, range,or furnace.

ln Fig. S four grate-bars are shown as forming a tire-bed, and from thisillustration it is obvious that any desired number of pairs may beadopted, and also, as will presently be shown, that three or any desirednumberof the grate-bars may be adopted in forming a tirebed. It' fourbars are used, the intermediate pair may be geared together andvibrated,

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Fig. 8, maybe geared in the same manner.

as shown in Figs. 1,2, 3, 4,' and v,5, and the eX- treme outer sharpedge of each bar of each of said pairs made to move upward and inward,as illustrated in Fig. 4, and after having cut out the mass of ashes anddbris caused to readj ust themselves to the position .shown in Fig. S;In this latter operation (having reference to Fig. S and the letters ofreference thereon) the eXtreme sharp edge c of one bar would turn towardthe eXtreme sharp edge c of the other bar, while the sharp edge c wouldmove toward the sharp edge c of the .bar carrying' it. A

lVhen four bars are used and the intermediate two are geared togetherin' the manner shown in Figs. l, 2, 3, 4, and 5, the exterior bottomsurfaces of the pair being moved will maintain a uniform distance fromone of the extreme edges of each of the contiguous end bars.

v If three bars are used and twoof them are geared together, the bars ofthe pair will operate in the same manner as described with respect toone another and the contiguous end bar, while the endA bar of the pairandA the separately-operated end bar willoperate with respect to thebottom portion, a3, of the furnace in the manner before described.

If five bars are used, the central bar can be operated separately, as inFig. 6, while the .respective bars forming the two vouter respectivepairs may be geared together and operated in the same manner as the pairshown in Figs. 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5. j

It will be seen that the action of the gratevbars in all the modes ofuse described is such that no inconvenience will be experienced fromlarge matters or debris gathering in enlarged spaces between thebarswhich are moving and those which are not moving, and consequently theuse of ridgebars above and `curved extension or end bars below, as shownin Letters Patent No.'259,1v83, is not'necessary with my construction.'

A In Fig. (i I have shown that the grate-bars of my construction andarrangement can be used in pairs to cut out ashes anddbris without beinggeared or coupled, a catch, p, attached to the gratefframe, and aluggp', formed on the journal, being provided for locking one or the'other of the grate-bars while either is being moved by a hand-lever,p2. I prefer to have the bars geared or coupled and both operated by asingle lever.

In Fig. 7 by full lines and in some of the lother views by dotted linesI have shown the circular plates d d cut away, so as to Vsimply leavecurved hangers, as d5, for the journals to pass through. I- have alsoset thesehangers entirely within the combustion-Chamber and closed upthe recesses ym m', provided in the other views for the accommodation ofthe circular plates d d. and the cog-gears. The gears, as f are alsoshown made separate from the gratebars, so as to be keyed upon thejournals. By this construction the hangers dare made to form a banking'or supporting surface, t, at each end of the grate for the burning fuel.Y

I have shown and -described the different modifications in order to haveitunderstood that the improved grate-bars are not necessarily vibratedby cog-gears cast 'with the grate-frame, nor necessarily provided withthe circular plates d d set in recesses, nor to 4be arranged in a singlepair in stoves, ranges, or furnaces of dwellings, nor to have anyvprecise amount of concavity on their inner or top surfaces, nor to haveany precise distance between said surfaces and the axes of the journals.It, however, is very-essential to have .the major portion of saidsurfaces below the axes of said journals in order to obtain sharp edges,as c c', for cutting out ashes, &c., and to form a concave or concavedor pocket-like ash and debris supporting' bed below said cut-out edges,and thus insure the entrance into the mass above its base of the cut-outedges as said cut-out edges are moved upwardv and inward for the purposeof cutting out the ashes and dbris g neither do I confine my inventionto any precise construction and location of stops or detents forpreventing the grat-e-bars being turned improperly from their normalpositions, in which theyV form a concave or concaved or pocket-liketire-bed, as any equivalent stop or detent and any location thereof tothat shown which will prevent the bars being turned improperly or wrongis intended to be embraced as my invention. Y f

From the foregoing specification it will be seen that Vthe grate-barsare made with their exterior surfaces of segmentalform and coucentricwith the axes of the journals'on which they vibrate, with their extremeash and dbris cut-out edges sharp, and the highest outer extreme ashcut-out edges of said bars vibrated so as to move first toward and thenfrom one another, while the lowest extreme edges of said bars are causedto move first from and 'then toward one another, and in thus moving (ifplaced in a stove, range, or furnace) do not change the distance betweentheir concentric exterior bottom surfaces and the lower portions of thecombustion-chainber or the lining thereof,`and if placed in severalpairs to form a long grated lire-bed, with their eXtreme outer ashcut-out edges all'on the same plane or ou a plane with the axes of theirjournals, the bars do not change the distance between their concentricer;i terior or bottom surfaces and the extreme outer ash and debriscut-out edges of those bars which are not being moved. The con- IOS IIO

struction, combination, and arrangement are such that both of theextreme outer edges of each grate-bar can be made with upwardlypointingsharp edges, and the grate-bars alone rendered capable of serving forforming a support for the fuel, not only previous to but during theperformance of the ash cut-out operation, and hence there is nonecessity ofrhaving the bars arranged to make complete revolutions, norof constructing them l nor intended for maintaining a uniform distancebetween the extreme edges of the gratef bars (not in motion) on eitherside of a given pair of bars which may be in motion, nor for maintaininga uniform distance between the exterior or bottom surfaces of thegrate-bars and the lower portion of the lining of thecombustion-chamber. lt will also be seen that by my invention thcvibration of the inwardly and then outwardly moving cut-out bars can becontrolled and improper vibrations prevented; that the respective bars,their end circle-plates, and the respective toothed segments or wheelsby which they are vibrated can be made in one piece, and that the endpieces of the grate-frame can bc iliade in two pieces and with recessesadapted for the reception ot' the cog-gears and circle-plates, each ofsaid pieces being formed with half journal-boxes and a semicircularrecess, and the upper pieces serving as removable caps for covering,protecting, and holding the grate-bar journals down in position, whilethey are readily i removable to permit access for repairs or withdrawaland renewal of burned-out bars.

l. A grate comprising two crescentic gratebars arranged alongside oneanother so as to form a concavedlire-bed, and having, respectively,journals, an upturned sharp cuttingedge, and an exterior bottom surfaceconcentric with the axes of the journals, stops for preventing` the barsfrom being' moved improperly out of their normal positions, and gearsfor vibrating` the bars and thereby moving the sharp cutting-edges firstupward and inward toward each other far enough to cut out the ashes anddbris and then outward and downward from each other to their normalpositions, substantially as described.

2. A grate comprising two crescentic bars arranged alongside one anotherso as to form a concave tire-bed, and having, respectively, journals, anupturned sharp cutting-edge about on a line with the axes of saidjournals, an exterior bottom surface concentric with the axes of thejournals, an inner or top surface, the major portion of which is belowthe axes of the journals, stops for preventing the bars from bein gmoved ilnproperl y out of their normal positions, and gears forvibrating the bars and thereby moving the sharp cuttingedges lirstupward and inward toward each other far enough to cut out the ashes anddbris and then outward and downward from each other to their originalpositions, substantially as described.

3. A stove, range, or furnace grate comprising crescentic grate-barsarranged alongside one another so as to form a concaved firebed, andhaving, respectively, journals, two upturned sharp cutting-edges, and anexterior or bottom surface concentric to the axes ot' the journals, andstops for preventing the bars from being moved improperly out ol' theirnormal positions, and gears for viln'ating the bars and thereby movingthe sharp cutting-edges first toward each other far enough to cut outthe ashes and dbris and then downward and outward from each other totheir original positions, sul'istantially as described.

l. A stove, range, or furnace grate comprising bars of crcscentic shapearranged alongside one another so as to form a concave firebed, andhaving, respectively, journals, two uptu-rned sharp cutting-edges aboutin a line with the axes of said journals, an exterior bottom surfaceconcentric with the axes of the journals, an inn eror top surface, themajor portion of which is below the axes ot' the journals, and stops forpreventing the bars from being moved out of their norma-l positions,andgears for vibrating the bars and thereby moving the sharp cutting-edgesfirst upward and inward toward each other far enough to cut out theashes and dbris and then downward and outward from each other to theiroriginal positions, substantially as described.

5. A stove, range, or furnace grate comprising crescentic bars arrangedalongside one another so as to form a concaved fre-bed,and

having, respectively, journals, an exterior bottom surface concentricwith the axes of the journals, and a top or inner surface between theextreme outer sharp edges of the bars and lyingl below the axes of thejournals, gears for connecting the bars in pairs, and stopsforpreventing the bars from being moved out of their normal positions,and gears for operating the bars and thereby moving the sharpcutting-edges tirst toward each other far enough to cutout the ashesandde'bris and then downward and outward from each other to theiroriginal positions, substantially as described.

(5. The combination, with the lower portion or lining of thecombustion-chamber of a stove, range, or furnace having the constructionas at a3, of a grate comprising two crescent-ic gratebars arrangedalongside one another, so as to form a concave lire-bed, and having,respectively, journals, one or more upturned sharp cutting-edges, anexterior'or bottom surface IOO IIO

which is concentric with the axes of the journals, andan inner or topsurface between said sharp edges which is below the axes of saidjournals, stops for preventing the bars when in their normal positionsfrom being v moved in the wrong direction, gears for conwith an innerlire-bed or top depressed surface, a segmental outer or bottom surface,and with journals at its ends above the middle of the depressed surface,and with toothed gears and circular end plates, all the partsconstructed integrally with one another, substantially as described.

9. A grate-bar crescent-ic in form transversely and having journals, thetop surface aof said bar inside its cutting-out edge being below thejournals, and the bottom or exterior surface concentric with the axes ofsaid journals and also below the journals, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature in presence of twowitnesses.

flVILLlAM MCCLAVE. lVitnesses:

JNO. P. ALBRo, R. H. PATTERSON.

